1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the computer control of mission payloads and, more particularly, to an improved open system architecture that moves the control function of mission payloads away from the control station and into the unmanned vehicle. This is accomplished with plug-and-play (PnP) modular mission payload architecture, and web-based payload interface software that resides in a payload computer in the vehicle and which is networked via a uniform resource locator (URL) addressing scheme to the control station.
2. Description of the Background
Unmanned vehicles (UVs) in operation today are designed around a single mission payload. This eases the initial design process for payload command and control, but normally requires extensive redesign for the incorporation of a new payload. Specifically, implementing a new payload type in a tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) requires changing software in the UAV itself, as well as in the ground control station, along with designing a new human computer interface for each payload. This is costly, time consuming and requires a complete flight re-certification for each new payload type introduced. In addition to the traditional Electro-Optic Payloads, users are now looking at Synthetic Aperture Radar payloads, Signal Intelligence payloads, Data Relay and Networking payloads, Meteorological payloads, Hyperspectral payloads, and other mission payloads. Each of these payloads has significantly different command and control functions, different human-computer interfaces, different data processing requirements, and they provide complex and differing data products and images to the UV operators. Current UV system designs do not incorporate the commands to manipulate these payloads and are not capable of processing and exploiting the data types. Thus, each time a UV is modified to accommodate a payload, physical changes must be made to either the payload or vehicle, and software must be changed in the vehicle and the control station, and in the ground station communication datalink. These software changes to the vehicle and control station and datalink also require costly air safety recertification.
The problem is becoming especially apparent as the increasing capability, quantity and awareness of UAVs, and the desire to utilize UAVs for expanded roles becomes more prevalent. There is a great need for a common interface for all payloads that may be carried by the UAV, and an open systems architecture to facilitate the integration of new and differing payloads, and which provides higher performance and minimal obsolescence. The same problem has arisen in other contexts, and there have been limited efforts to provide a solution. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,783 to Stength et al. confronts the problem in the context of outer space vehicles which have payload facilities supported by a host computer system at a space platform. The ""783 patent attempts to take application-specific payload controllers and make them generic networked computers with payload control software resident on a remote space vehicle. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,582 to Perkins et al. discloses a communication system for an unmanned space vehicle for electronically communicating with various diverse customer payloads. Multiple subsidiary small payloads can be connected to standard mechanical and electrical interfaces. However, this only partially addresses the problems of reconfiguration, recertification and obsolescence. There are as yet no known efforts to create an entirely plug-and-play (PnP) system with payload plug-ins for the UV which include essential parameters such as weight, center of gravity, electrical power consumption, physical size and volume, mounting structures, environmental conditions, etc. Moreover, there have been no efforts at web-enabling a system using a uniform resource locator (URL) system and graphical user front-end.
It is an object of the present invention to provide more effective and economical remote computer control (from a control station) of mission payloads in an unmanned vehicle.
It is another object to provide an improved open system architecture that moves the control function of mission payloads away from the control station and into the unmanned vehicle.
It is another object to provide a modular plug-and-play (PnP) architecture for control of mission payloads in a vehicle using web-based payload interface software that resides in a payload computer in the vehicle and which is networked via a uniform resource locator (URL) addressing scheme to a ground control station.
It is another object to provide an architecture as above which minimizes software changes for new and different payloads by moving the payload-specific software changes away from all flight critical software.
According to the present invention, the above-described and other objects are accomplished by providing an improved plug-and-play (PnP) system for remote control of any of a variety of different payloads in a vehicle which takes the payload interface software out of the control station and puts it in a dedicated payload computer resident in the air vehicle. The system generally comprises a dedicated payload computer resident in the vehicle which is connected to one or more payloads therein for control. The payload computer is loaded with a discrete software module for each different payload which contains payload-specific data parameters inclusive of weight and power consumption, etc. The payload computer is also equipped with a generic software application that includes a generic command set as required to control a variety of different payloads. The generic software application is adapted to assimilate the data parameters of the software module into its generic command set to thereby issue payload-specific commands to the payload. In this manner, an operator can remotely control one or more payloads from a ground station via a computer, display, and wireless communication link which provides a remote human computer interface. Preferably, all software including the payload-specific software module, the generic payload application, and the ground control software is programmed using software such as PERL, JAVA or basic HTML. The payload-specific software module is stored as a URL and is configured as a web-based plug-in, and in this manner the operator is presented a standard web browser with appropriate plug-ins installed, as required, for each type of payload. When the payload operator transmits a payload command via the web browser screen, the payload computer interprets the command and calls the payload specific command to the proper payload via a standard interface protocol. The benefit of this approach is that it minimizes software changes required for full flight certification by moving the software changes away from the flight critical software and hardware.